A fleshy and juicy root beet is valued not only for its taste. This herbaceous plant has many useful properties. Beetroot contains a lot of fiber, antioxidants, potassium, iron and organic acids, so nutritionists advise using it to prevent scurvy, diabetes, nephrolithiasis, and hypertension. The red-purple vegetable has been used as food since ancient Babylon. The root crop is very popular now. Beets are grown in almost every dacha and personal plot. In order to get a rich harvest of vegetables by autumn, you need to know when to plant beets for seedlings or in open ground how to properly plant and care for beets in the garden.
You can grow a vegetable in both seedling and seedless ways. For seedlings, beets are most often planted by residents of Siberia and the northern regions. Also, seedlings grow early root varieties that are rich in vitamins.
The timing of planting beets depends on the climatic conditions of the region. Beets are planted for seedlings 3 weeks before planting in open ground, that is, in March-April, under film - at the end of April, and in open ground - no later than May 20. Seedlings are planted in the garden only after the soil warms up to +10 degrees. If in the southern regions it may already be at the end of April, then in the Urals and Siberia - in May or even at the beginning of June.
When to plant beets for seedlings in 2019:
- March. Most auspicious days- 2, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29. You can not sow - 5, 6, 21 and 31.
- April. The best dates are April 3, 20, 21, 24, 25, 30. You can sow seeds 1 and 2, from 26 to 29. You can not plant 5 and 19.
Favorable days for sowing seeds and planting seedlings:
- May. Better days for sowing: 1, 21, 23, 27. 28, and for planting seedlings - 1, 2, from May 23 to 30.
- June. Recommended dates for planting seedlings - 1, from 24 to 29.
You can not engage in sowing and planting:
- May: 5, 19;
- June: 3, 17.
How to plant beets with seeds?
seed processing
Before sowing, planting material is recommended to be disinfected in a weak solution of potassium permanganate and soaked in water for a couple of days to disinfect the seeds and stimulate their germination. The seeds will germinate even faster if they are kept for a day in cold water and 30 minutes in warm water with a temperature within +35 degrees.
Soil for seedlings
Soil for sowing beet seeds for seedlings can be purchased at the store. A special mixture for seedlings or vegetable crops is suitable. You can prepare the substrate yourself from the following components:
- garden or sod land - 2 parts;
- rotted compost or humus - 2 parts;
- peat - 4 parts;
- sand - 1 part.
Every 10 kg of the resulting soil mixture is fertilized with one glass of wood ash. Ready soil is recommended to be disinfected. To do this, you can steam it for 30 minutes in a water bath or warm it in the oven. After this treatment, the soil should be kept in a bag for a week so that beneficial bacteria form in it.
Growing beet seedlings
Three weeks before planting in the garden, the sowing of seeds begins. They are placed in the ground to a depth of 1-1.5 cm, sprinkled with soil, lightly tamped and sprayed with a spray bottle.
Containers with crops are placed in a warm place where the air temperature should not be lower than +20 degrees. So that the soil does not dry out, and the seeds hatch faster, you can arrange a mini-greenhouse. To do this, the crops are covered from above with polyethylene or glass. Every day, the shelter is removed for a few minutes to ventilate the substrate and check its moisture content.
Caring for seedlings of beetroot is the same as for seedlings of other vegetables. After the appearance of seedlings, seedlings are placed in a place where there is good lighting and air temperature in the range of + 14 ... + 16 degrees.
When two real leaves are formed in plants, they need to be picked out, since 2-3 seedlings are collected in one beet seed. The distance between the bushes must be made 3-4 cm. If the vegetable was planted in separate pots, then you can not do picking, and divide the bushes when transplanting to a garden bed.
When and how to plant beets in the ground? Seedlings are planted in the garden only after the temperature of the soil at a depth of 10 cm warms up to at least +8 degrees. For this, a sunny area is selected.
You can plant beets after legumes, peppers, eggplant, cereals, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. So that the vegetable is not affected by diseases, it is necessary to observe crop rotation and not plant it after beets, cabbage, rapeseed, potatoes, carrots.
Plot for planting beets
The soil in the bed for the root crop should be loose and have a neutral or slightly alkaline reaction. Fresh compost and manure cannot be applied under the beets. A root crop can be planted on a bed fertilized by them only after 3 years.
When digging the beds for each square meter, make:
- superphosphate - 40 grams;
- potassium chloride - 15 grams;
- ammonium nitrate - 20 grams;
- ammonium sulphate - 20 grams;
- humus - 2 or 3 kg (if the soil is not fertile);
- fluffy lime - 0.5 kg (if the soil is acidic).
Planting seedlings in open ground
To get large fruits, when planting seedlings, you need to keep a distance. Between rows, the distance should be about 25 cm, and between plants - about 5 cm. During planting, each seedling should be cut off by 1/3 of the length of the central root. The plant is placed in a hole of such depth that the roots in it do not bend, but are located straight. Planted seedlings are sprinkled with earth and watered well. For the first two or even three weeks of planting, it is recommended to protect them from direct sunlight and possible frosts, for which they are covered with a special non-woven material.
When the root crops take root and grow, they are thinned out, leaving a distance of 10 cm between the bushes. Experienced gardeners recommend mulching the soil in the garden with plantings after removing the shelter. The mulch will retain moisture in the soil and keep weeds from growing.
How to plant beets in open ground?
When growing beets in a seedless way, sowing of seeds is carried out after warm weather is established with a temperature not lower than +6 degrees. If you sow the seeds earlier, then the tops will grow, not the fruit.
After processing, the planting material is placed in grooves prepared in advance in the garden, the distance between which should be up to 30-35 cm. The distance between the seeds depends on the variety, but they must be at least 7 cm. If the vegetable is grown for conservation, then the planting pattern is 7x6 cm.
Seeds are planted to a depth of 2-3 cm, sprinkled with a fertile soil mixture and watered well.
Since 2 or 3 seedlings will grow from one seed, when the first two leaves appear on the plants, the plantings will need to be thinned out so that the distance between shoots is 3-4 cm. To do this, the extra shoots are carefully pulled out and transplanted to another bed. When two true leaves are formed on the bushes, a second thinning will be needed, in which the distance between the bushes is left at 7-10 cm.
Planting beets before winter
It is necessary to plant a root crop before winter at the end of October. Seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm in pre-prepared grooves. Between rows, the distance should be 15-20 cm. A bed with plantings must be sprinkled with peat or humus.
Caring for beets is quite simple and consists of the following activities:
- Watering.
- Weeding and loosening the soil.
- Top dressing.
- Treatment for diseases and pests.
Watering the beets
To get a good and high-quality harvest, root crops should be watered regularly. Watering is carried out after the top layer of soil in the garden has dried. It is especially necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out when the plants are still young, and the weather is dry and warm.
When the root crops grow up, they are watered less often, using 2-3 buckets of water per square meter. Waterlogging beets is also harmful, because plants growing in too wet soil are easily affected by fungal diseases.
To increase the keeping quality of vegetables, watering is stopped two weeks before harvest.
Weeding and loosening
After watering or rain, the beds are weeded and loosened to a depth of 4 cm. Especially often and carefully you need to weed young plants. Otherwise, the weed will grow and “crush” the still fragile small sprouts.
Beet top dressing
Fertilize the beets several times:
- After the first thinning with a solution of mullein (1:8). For 10 square meters of plantings, 12 liters of solution are used. Mullein contains nitrogen, which is very necessary for young plants. You can use ready-made organic fertilizer, which includes nitrogen.
- Potash fertilizers are applied after the tops of the plants close. A large amount of potassium is present in wood ash. You can simply sprinkle it on the ground and water the bed well. For every one and a half square meters plantings use one glass of ash.
- When growing sugar beets, the sugar content of root crops is increased with a solution from a bucket of water and a tablespoon of salt, which is watered three times: when sprouts appear, two weeks after germination and when the sixth leaf appears.
- At the initial stage, for the development of not only root crops, but also foliage is used foliar top dressing. Beets necessarily need elements such as copper, boron and molybdenum, which are part of many fertilizers. They are bred according to the instructions and used to spray the leaves.
- To saturate root crops with sodium, use a solution of non-iodized salt, which is sprayed with tops (60 grams per 10 liters of water).
Diseases and pests of beets
Preventive measures against diseases and pests are:
- compliance with crop rotation;
- pre-sowing treatment of seeds and soil for seedlings;
- timely weeding;
- destruction of plant residues and digging beds in the fall;
- timely feeding with microelements.
However, even carrying out all measures for the prevention of plants does not always completely protect plantings from pests and diseases.
Of the pests, beets are most often affected by:
- shield-bearers - are removed along with weeds by hand and destroyed with special insecticidal solutions;
- fleas - are destroyed by dusting the foliage with tobacco dust or ash;
- beet aphid - destroyed by onion infusion or Iskra bio preparation;
- mining and beet flies - you can get rid of them with the help of Karbofos and Iskra;
- scoops - are destroyed by special bacterial preparations.
Of the diseases, beets can be affected by felt disease, fusarium, root beetle, false powdery mildew, cercoporosis, photomosis. All these diseases can harm root crops, which reduces yields. Diseases caused by bacteria are treated with fungicides. Viral diseases are not treated, so diseased plants are destroyed.
If spots or rotten areas are found on the root crops during harvesting, they must be stored separately from healthy specimens.
Sugar beet harvesting
For cooking borscht and other dishes, beets can be dug up throughout the summer. If it is planned to store vegetables in the winter, then the root crops are dug up a week after the plants turn yellow and the leaves dry. By this time, the vegetables will be about 7-15 cm in diameter. They are first dug up with a pitchfork, and then removed from the ground with their hands.
Before storage, root crops need to be dried, so they are harvested in warm weather, when precipitation is not expected in the coming days. Dried vegetables are cleaned from the ground and the tops are cut off so that a petiole about 2 cm in size remains. Peeled root crops are inspected, separately damaged and spoiled.
Selected vegetables need to be dried, for which they are laid out for a week in a room with good ventilation, where there is no sunlight.
Storing beets for the winter
It is recommended to store beets in a room with an air temperature within 0 ... + 2 degrees and a humidity of not more than 90%. Good ventilation is very important for storing beets, so it is recommended to use lattice boxes made of wood or plastic. Root crops placed in containers are dusted with chalk and sprinkled with sand. Boxes with vegetables are placed on stands away from the walls. In this case, the lower root crops will not fog up and rot.
How to store beets in the cellar? It is very good if potatoes are stored in the cellar, on top of which you can pour beets. The fruits will absorb excess moisture and the potatoes won't get wet. When pouring vegetables into the cellar, care must be taken to ensure that rodents do not climb into it.
Subject to all storage conditions, it will be possible to feast on a healthy vegetable all winter and spring. And if you sprinkle the root crops with sand, then they can be preserved until the next harvest.
Beetroot is a widely known and healthy vegetable. It is easy to grow and has a long shelf life. In the rather harsh conditions of our country, it provides us essential vitamins during the harsh winter and during the period of spring beriberi. Subject to the conditions, if you care for and love the plant, planting this vegetable with seeds in open ground is not difficult.
Beets are planted in different ways. It can be planted from seeds or seedlings. Do it in spring or autumn, it is important to observe correct timing. Spring planting of seeds in open ground is carried out in the 1st-2nd decade of May after the soil has completely warmed up.
If the seeds are placed in insufficiently warmed soil, the seedlings will begin to shoot and a good harvest can not be expected.
You can plant beet seeds in the fall, late October or November, it depends on your region. Landing is carried out when the air temperature drops to -4 degrees. You should not rush into planting, if the planted seeds wake up under the influence of heat, they will die.
Sometimes beets are planted with seedlings. With this method, the seeds are planted at home in special boxes. You can plant seeds in the country in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
Seeds for seedlings need to be sown in early April, a month before they can be placed in open ground. Planting beet seedlings allows you to get an early harvest and save seeds, since you can also plant sprouts that remain after thinning on the beds.
The most popular varieties for growing in the country or garden
Beets may be sugar, fodder or table. Varieties of sugar and fodder are usually grown on an industrial scale and are not sown in summer cottages. On garden beds, it is more common to see table beets.
There are a lot of popular varieties, they differ in growth rate and storage time. All table varieties are distinguished by high taste and brightness of color. Here are just a few:
- . An early variety, specimens are not very large with excellent taste. Root crops of bright burgundy color without rings on the cut, weighing about 200 g. The variety provides high yields.
- . Mid-season productive root crop. Fully justifies its name. Red beets, cylindrical shape up to 16 cm in length. Disease resistant, long shelf life.
- . Mid-season variety with excellent yield. Delicious, does not lose color when cooked. Weight 300-350g. Has good keeping quality.
Some varieties are great for the middle lane, others for the Urals and Siberia. When choosing seeds for planting, be sure to consider the weather conditions of your region.
Varieties to plant in Siberia and the Urals
In Leningrad and other cold regions are especially popular Merchant, Coldproof 19, Ordinary Miracle. These varieties are distinguished by excellent resistance to diseases and cold, high yields. The cylinder also took root well in these regions.
To plant in the suburbs
In the Moscow region and the western regions, many varieties are grown. Some gardeners prefer juicy early varieties that cannot lie until spring, but are very tasty and provide vitamins in autumn and winter. Others, planted late varieties, less juicy, but stored for a very long time.
TO early varieties applies Red ball, Detroit, Mulatto. All of them give high yields, differ in intensity of coloring and good taste.
Bordeaux, Cylinder and Mona, also liked the Muscovites. These are later varieties, with high yields and wonderful taste, they are stored for almost a whole year.
Instructions for planting beets with seeds in open ground
Soil preparation
Before planting a vegetable according to step by step instructions, you need to prepare a bed for beets, do it autumn. Any sunny, open, well-drained place is chosen, on which cucumbers, tomatoes or onions grew before. The vegetable does not grow well in places where carrots or cabbage used to live. Does not tolerate neighborhood with celery and garlic.
You can plant a vegetable in the same place after 3-4 years. It does not tolerate waterlogging, it is better not to place beds on clay soils. Sunny, well-drained areas for planting, what this vegetable needs for good growth.
The selected area is completely cleared of any parts of plants (roots, seeds, leaves). Humus is introduced into the soil, a complex of mineral fertilizers and the earth is dug up to the depth of a shovel. To make the soil less dense for beets, the soil is mixed with sand or sawdust. An excellent top dressing for a vegetable is wood ash.
Beets do not tolerate fresh manure at all.
If the soil in the selected area is acidic, add a little lime, changing the pH to neutral or alkaline. The optimal value for beets is 6-7.
In the spring, the soil in the garden is loosened with a rake and brought complex mineral fertilizer. The culture needs nitrogen and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, as well as pest control.
Planting seeds in spring
Seeds are sorted out and they need to be kept in solution for a day growth promoter or wood ash. For the preparation of which 2 tbsp. l of ash is poured with a liter of warm water, mixed well.
After 2 days, the solution is drained, it is possible to soak not only beets, but also seed material of other vegetables in it. Ash provides the seeds with a complex of essential minerals. After a day, they are washed and placed in a damp cloth, before planting.
On the bed, even grooves are carried out with a depth of 2-3 cm. These grooves are shed with water, some gardeners prefer warm water. When the water has been absorbed, large beet seeds are placed one at a time at a distance of 10 cm from each other and sprinkled with earth.
Beet seeds are multigerm, one beet seed gives 2 to 6 sprouts. Sprouted seeds are thinned out after the appearance of 2 leaves. The second time the procedure is carried out when the 4th sheet appears.
Autumn landing
Often, beet seeds are sown in open ground in the fall, when the air temperature drops. up to -4 degrees. In this case, the soil is prepared in the same way, but the bed is made high, 20-25 cm, so as not to be washed away by melt water. The grooves during autumn planting are deeper, 4 cm.
Seed material during autumn planting does not need to be soaked and the bed is not watered.
When planting in autumn, dry seeds are planted in dry ground.
Benefits of autumn planting:
- seed material perfectly tempered for the winter;
- early friendly shoots are provided;
- frees up time for other garden chores;
- harvest arrives much earlier.
This method has only one drawback, but it must be taken into account. Beet harvest planted before winter not stored for a long time.
To protect the seeds from frost, the bed is covered with straw on top, you can throw it with snow. In the spring, when the air warms up to + 7-10 degrees, the straw is removed. This method allows you to get an early harvest, even with a delay in spring heat.
Planting seedlings at home
Seeds are planted in special boxes or under a film in the country, a month before planting in open ground. Distance between rows 5-8 cm, between seeds 3-5 cm. When 2 leaves appear, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving the strongest sprouts, after the appearance of 4 leaves, it is watered abundantly, carefully, together with a clod of earth, transferred to open beds.
Before planting in the ground, the seedlings begin to harden off, removing the film daily and airing the sprouts at home. In order for the sprouts to get used to, they need 7-10 days.
Planted one sprout, after 10 cm. At a tender age, the sprouts take root perfectly in a new place. Such a successful method allows you to get a high, early harvest and save on seeds, because all sprouts can be planted.
At what distance and according to what scheme to plant in the ground
On narrow and long beds, the vegetable is often sown across, while the distance between the seeds 10 cm, and between rows 20-25 . This method makes it easier to care for crops. This is a one line method.
With the two-line planting method, two even furrows are made at a distance 25 cm from each other, then leave a free tape 50 cm wide. So alternate landing. A three-line scheme is also used when the vegetable is planted in 3 rows, through 20-25 cm. This is done to facilitate watering, weeding and loosening the soil.
To grow big harvest, beets need to be watered regularly and loosen the soil in the beds.
Beetroot is an unpretentious vegetable that gives excellent yields if you follow the described tips and secrets. Gardeners grow it in the southern regions, Belarus, the Chelyabinsk region, middle lane and northern regions. It is good, in the usual first courses, various salads, they make preparations for the winter from it.
It is remarkably stored, providing us with the necessary minerals and vitamins until the new harvest. It is able to purify the blood and normalize digestion. All these qualities have made beets popular among different peoples, and the history of its cultivation dates back many centuries.
For a good harvest and the opportunity to enjoy beets all year round, you should select the right varieties that have a different ripening period. To get high-quality beets, you need to properly care for them. By its properties, beets are a plant that does not require much attention. During the first year it produces good root crops, and in the second year, with proper care, seeds are obtained that can be sown the next year.
Soil types and the optimal level of its acidity for beets
Planting beets in the ground should be carried out in compliance with simple rules:
- Good growth will provide a lighted place, or an area with little shading;
- The soil should be light and loamy, not prone to receiving large amounts of moisture, organically rich and neutral.
Getting a juicy sugary root crop will only be possible on soil that has been previously fertilized. At the same time, beets should not be planted in the same place where they were already grown last season, since over the entire period of their growth, pests accumulate in the soil - the beet nematode. For a good harvest, it is better to choose those areas where other crops used to grow. It is preferable to plant beets in those areas where potatoes, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and various legumes used to grow. It is not recommended to plant beets in areas where carrots used to grow, since these two crops have almost the same planting conditions, as well as pests.
Important! heavy clay soil poses a risk of low-quality harvest. Acid-rich soil will make the beets small and hard, and the tops will turn out ugly in appearance. appearance and turns bright red.
To neutralize the acid in the soil, periodic watering with a special solution with the addition of limestone should be carried out. Watering should be throughout the entire growth of beets.
Beet planting dates
For a good harvest, you need to know what temperature will be optimal. Beet seeds in different temperature conditions germinate in different ways:
- At a temperature of +5, seed germination occurs within three weeks;
- A temperature of +10 will make it possible to germinate even earlier, no more than 10 days;
- At a temperature of +15, beets will be able to give the first shoots on the sixth day;
- The most favorable for the rapid emergence of the first shoots is a temperature of +20, during such a period the seeds hatch in three days.
Right knowledge of auspicious temperature conditions will make it possible to plant beets in the most good period, as well as quickly determine what time is best to plant different varieties of beets.
The most favorable time for planting beets is May, but only if the weather conditions completely allow you to start planting. If this is not possible, then you can start landing work in more late deadline, but you need to prepare the seeds in advance.
If the planting date is later, then the area for sowing must be thoroughly cleaned of all weeds in order to obtain the first shoots more quickly.
By following these simple rules, you can get a good harvest, regardless of the timing of planting. Unfortunately, if the seeds are already planted, and there are often unplanned cold days in the spring, then the beets will eventually grow with a lot of flowering.
autumn sowing
Planting beets in open ground is very often done by gardeners in the autumn. Moreover, the temperature usually at this time already drops to -4, but this will not become an obstacle. The only difference from spring planting will be the formation of beds. In autumn, you should make a bed for beets higher. This is necessary so that it is not washed away with melt water in the spring and the seeds are not damaged. The groove should also be made deep, at least 4 cm.
Advice! During autumn sowing, you do not need to water the bed and you should not keep the seeds soaked. Seeds should not be wet, the soil for sowing remains dry.
Choosing a beet variety for planting
Varieties of beets are divided into three types:
- dining room;
- feed;
- sugar.
The choice for landing depends entirely on how it will be used in the future. For those who use beets mainly for food purposes, the most the best option will be planting a table variety. The most important criterion for caring for this variety is a large amount of light on the site. There should not be any large vegetation on this site, especially the trees give a different shade, which negatively affects the crop.
Planting and caring for sugar beet is a very complex and time-consuming process, so it is not so popular. Such a variety needs to be constantly fertilized, more often to monitor the condition of the soil, and you need to take care of it more carefully.
Selection of different varieties of beets on modern market huge, will depend on how fast the beets grow, and how long they hurt. The table grade differs in bright color and rich tastes. Experienced gardeners try to choose based on their personal preferences. Has a different variety different sizes, color range, taste qualities.
Different ways of planting beets
Correct fit beets will completely decide its further growth and obtaining a quality crop.
Preparing and planting beets with seeds
To check the quality of seeds before planting, germinate them. It's pretty easy to do this:
- You need to take a flat saucer or plate;
- Lay out a damp felt or canvas rag, always with a double layer;
- Place 50 or 100 beet seeds on top;
- Cover with the same damp cloth.
After a while, the seeds begin to germinate. It should be calculated how many seeds sprouted from the planted. Thus, it is much easier to calculate how much harvest the purchased batch will give.
Watch the video!Pre-sowing preparation of beet seeds and planting them in open ground
Important! You need to understand that in this way you can only check the batch of seeds that has been pre-sorted.
Beet seeds have practically no differences, so spoiled ones can be sorted out quite easily. Beets have a long shelf life and it has been practically proven that more than 80% of the seeds have a good chance of germinating. The shelf life of beets in the seed state can vary from 3 to 5 years.
Any good gardener has an idea of how to speed up the process of crop growth. In the case of beets, you can use already proven methods. The most common and easiest way is to soak beet seeds in water without additives. Water should be changed every 2-3 hours.
Advice! Water temperature must be carefully monitored, only warm water can create good conditions for seed germination.
Planting germinated seeds in the ground
Planting seeds after germination does not require special knowledge and skills, the most important thing for all novice gardeners is to observe the depth at which beets will be planted. This crop should not be planted too deep, as the germination process will be more difficult. In addition, at great depths, there will be insufficient oxygen for the seeds, which will create the risk of losing part of the crop.
You should find the optimal depth, since you can’t plant a crop at all on the surface either, the seeds will be exposed to the wind and scattered around the garden.
Observe the distance between the rows. The minimum distance is 20 cm, which must be taken into account which beet variety is planted. But in any case, you will have to thin out the vegetable, since it is usually sown more densely than other types of crops. Fertilizing the beds before direct planting of seeds is also welcome, but only in small quantities.
Planting beets for seedlings
For lovers of year-round beet harvesting, there is the possibility of harvesting earlier than usual. To enjoy this culture already in May, you can create for vegetable crop suitable conditions for growth. A greenhouse or insulated ridge will become one of the most good options. The most important thing in cold weather is to take care of seedlings more actively.
Proper seed care
Thinning steps
In order for beets to give a good harvest, they are initially sown more densely. It is necessary to do this so that winds and other bad weather conditions do not destroy the entire crop at the very beginning of development. It is necessary to thin out seedlings, otherwise the vegetable will grow small. Planting fodder beet is carried out in the same way as the canteen and its care is identical.
Thinning is divided into 3 stages:
- At the first stage, those shoots that look painful and have defects are removed, 3 cm should be left between shoots;
- The second stage of thinning is carried out only when the seedlings have grown and they already have at least six leaves. After the end of the procedure, ideally, at least 4 cm should remain between shoots;
- The third stage of thinning is carried out at the end of summer, but no later than August 15th. Here you need to leave a gap of 6 cm.
Advice! Thinning is considered one of the most important procedures in the development and growth of beets. If this important step in root crop care is neglected, the yield will decrease significantly and will not give good results.
Weeds and how to get rid of them
Beets are much more susceptible to the negative effects of various harmful weeds than other crops. Therefore, the beds should be carefully weeded, this will enable the culture to grow in more favorable conditions.
You can make a special solution from saltpeter (2-3 g per liter of water per 1 sq. M.), And spray the seedlings. The remaining weeds will have to be weeded by hand.
Timely loosening of the soil, spraying (kerosene is suitable for it) can create protection for the crop, and in this place weeds usually stop growing all season. Thus, you can completely solve the problems of constant weeding of the beds by hand.
Proper watering and fertilization
Proper watering of the crop is also considered one of the highlights in care. The amount of watering will depend on how often it rains during the season.
Conclusion
Fertilize with potassium salt and ammonium nitrate. The crop itself is not demanding and the minimum amount of fertilizer will give good results.
Beets are a good crop that does not require much effort to grow. If you follow these recommendations, then in the end you can get an excellent harvest.
A video on the stages of caring for this culture is presented below. It will help determine the choice of variety for growing at their summer cottage.
Watch the video! Sowing beets without errors
Many people know how to grow beets in open ground. But after all someone this makes the first time. And he does not realize that there are certain tricks and secrets. Unwittingly, they can make mistakes. But you can grow a wonderful crop without a greenhouse, just by following some recommendations.
The most frequently asked questions are about:
- land preparation
- seed treatment
- choice of landing method
- care needs
- top dressing
- cleaning deadlines
Let's break down each of the points in order to get a first-class harvest.
What kind of land do beets need
Fluffy and nutritious. Only not manured! Beets are very grateful for mineral supplements, overripe compost or green manures. And it does not tolerate fresh manure at all. When it is applied, the beets become clumsy, often get sick and shoot.
Autumn preparation includes weeding, fertilizing and digging the beds. Be sure to add chalk or lime. Beets do not like acidic soil.
You can prepare the ground in the spring. As soon as the snow melts, the soil is loosened. This will allow the weeds to sprout earlier, and you to get rid of them so that the young plantings do not suffer.
A place for planting beets should be chosen sunny. She doesn't like shadows. By the way, people say that beets grow better if they sweep over the hem of the hostess. That is, along the edges of other beds. But it is better to allocate a separate strip to it.
Directly on the day of planting, grooves are made with an improvised tool. About 5-7 cm deep. The bottom is powdered with ash. This is a good dose of potassium. Then gently rinse with water. As soon as it is absorbed - you can plant.
Advice. Landing dates in each region are individual. Focus on the temperature of the earth. It should be above +15°C.
How to plant beets
The seeding depth is about 3-4 cm. The distance between them is 8-11 cm. No more is needed. Huge root crops are spectacular, but what will you do with such a firebrand? Cook for three days? Although, if you need it for an exhibition, feel free to double the distance between the seeds.
Rows of plantings can be arranged 20 cm apart from each other. This is done for the convenience of primary weeding.
Get ready for the fact that the beets will have to be pulled apart. 2 or even 3 plants grow from one glomerulus. If this is not done, then you can forget about a good harvest.
Advice. Now the selection offers special varieties that do not require pulling. That's what they're called, singletons. Look for information on a bag of seeds.
If the seeds are simply put into the ground, then shoots appear only after 3 weeks. During this time, it may rain, the soil will be covered with a crust, and seedlings may not wait at all.
In order for the beets to sprout in 4-5 days, the seeds must first be processed and germinated. To do this, they are soaked in a strong solution of potassium permanganate for 3 hours. This will kill pathogenic bacteria and disputes. Further, without washing, beet seeds are placed for a day in a biostimulant solution. Instructions can be found on the packaging. Be sure to ensure that the temperature of the liquid does not fall below + 20 ° C. Beets love warmth.
At the end of the term, a wide container is prepared. Clean sawdust, a cotton cloth, and paper napkins are placed at the bottom in a thin layer. Wet well clean water. Do not pour, namely moisturize! Treated beet seeds are poured on top and covered with glass or a transparent bag. Removed to a warm place.
On the second day you can check. Some of the seeds should have hatched by now. On the third, almost everything sprouts. Now you can plant.
Advice. Make sure that the substrate does not dry out. Spray it with warm water if necessary.
Seeds or seedlings
Depending on what the beets are intended for, there are two types of planting.
- Seeds. The method is simple, allows you to get a guaranteed harvest without much effort. The downside is that it is not suitable for early landing.
- seedlings. The method is more troublesome, but it helps to get an early harvest of root crops. Of the minuses: dancing with laying roots in grooves, seedlings are very capricious and painful. You can not guess with the weather, and then the survival rate will be very low.
Decide for yourself what is more important for you - to eat one beetroot in July or to harvest a good harvest in the fall? Although, if you have rich experience, you can try. Now there is a lot of information about such experiments.
Advice. If the seedling method was chosen, then never tear off the central root when picking. It is through him that the beets receive nutrition in dry times.
What care is required for beets
Small beet plants are very weak, painful, poorly kept in the ground. Therefore, they must be protected from any misfortunes:
- Flea attack. At the same time, small holes immediately form on tender leaves. Therefore, inspect the beets in a timely manner, if necessary, dust them with ash or spray them with insecticides.
- Earth crust. While the plants have not yet gained a good mass of leaves, they breathe with roots. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically loosen the earth in the aisles. Just be very careful not to damage the roots!
- weeds. They grow much faster than beet plantings and create unnecessary shade. Weeds must be mercilessly destroyed until the leaves close in rows. And there the beets will cope on their own. She just won't let the grass grow.
- Return frosts. What if the weather forecast promised a cold snap, and your seeds have just come out into the light? No need to panic! We put temporary arcs, put on a greenhouse film and wait for the heat. In severe frosts, you can cover the top with non-woven material.
This is the main concern as long as the beets are young. After the appearance of 6-8 of this leaf, you can moderate your ardor.
Advice. In order not to run around the beet garden, looking for an insidious weed, you can simply mulch it. This will prevent future growth of weeds and will keep moisture in the ground even in the most drought.
Do I need to fertilize beets
Beets are very responsive to top dressing, so do not neglect them. It is best to use foliar, that is, on the leaves. The most suitable is green manure. Make it very easy.
Fresh nettles, dandelions, clover are stuffed into a plastic bucket to the top. In this case, it is desirable to grind everything with secateurs. Or tear with your hands into pieces about 10 cm long. A handful of dry grass is placed on top and poured with water. Leave in the sun. Get ready for a stunning "aroma". Once a day, stir with a wooden stick. After 7-9 days, a wonderful fertilizer is ready.
It is diluted with clean water in a ratio of 1 to 10. And only then beet plantings are watered. For spraying on the leaves, you need to dilute 1 to 20. The result will be noticeable the very next day. In total, 4 such top dressings are carried out per season.
They can be alternated with watering with salt water. For 10 liters of liquid 1 tsp. table salt. The amount of top dressing with salt is 2 per season.
By the way, about watering. Beets can grow without them, but then they will be woody and bitter. At the same time, she does not like waterlogging. From excessive dampness, root crops quickly become ill. Therefore, it should be watered only when the ground is dry to a depth of 10 cm or more.
About a month before harvesting, all nutritional procedures and watering are stopped. Let the roots get stronger and accumulate their sweetness. If you continue to do this until the very harvest, then the roots will not be burgundy, but red. Plus, light rings will appear in the pulp.
Advice. If you are not a supporter organic farming, then apply mineral fertilizers. Their beets are also very fond of. Only without fanaticism! Strictly follow the instructions and do not exceed the dosage.
When and how to harvest beets
The exact timing depends on the variety. As a rule, cylindrical roots ripen a month earlier than round ones. In general, it is customary to navigate by foliage. The signal for harvesting is yellowing and wilting of 4-5 lower leaves. But you still need to look at the weather. If in the near future the forecast conveys heavy rains or frosts, then it is better to harvest the beets a few days earlier. Than then to dig in the cold mud.
How to clean? You will need a pitchfork, gloves, burlap, secateurs. Carefully dig up the root crops with a pitchfork, trying not to damage them. Shake off the ground and cut off the tops with secateurs. Petioles are left about 2 cm. Then they are laid out on burlap to dry in a barn or garage for 5 days.
Some simply spill out onto the floor without bedding. In principle, it is possible. Just burlap allows you to not dilute the dirt.
Why 5 days? Because during this time all damage or sores will appear, if they are on the beets. Such root crops cannot be stored. But they can be processed into blanks for the winter.
After the final drying, the beets can be removed for winter storage. To do this, it is laid out in wooden or plastic boxes, then placed in a cellar or basement. Temperature +6-8°C, darkness and humidity of about 75% are ideal conditions for long-term storage of beets.
- After pulling out the beet plantings, do not throw away the plants. If there is a free piece of land, then you can try to plant them. Caring for such plants is no different from sown. The processing is also the same. You may even get a better harvest.
- If you do not want to experiment or there was no free land, then discard the roots, and leave the young leaves. This is an excellent vitamin supplement for salads, borscht, okroshka.
- Water the beets by sprinkling. So the sockets are refreshed and washed. There is no harm in this. After each watering the next morning or afternoon, gently break the crust on the surface of the soil.
- There are recommendations about the winter planting of beets. Allegedly for an earlier harvest. But the reviews speak of the inefficiency of this method. Semyon still will not rise before the earth warms up. What is the point of planting in advance in the winter, if you can plant it in the warmed earth in the spring?
- If you need medium-sized root crops for conservation as a whole, then simply do not pull up the beet plantings and loosen the ground more often. Then they will be small, but fully formed.
- One of the characteristics of beets is their elevation above the ground. Some root crops stick out 2/3 of their length. No need to convulsively spud it and close it from the sun's rays. Beets do not accumulate solanine and do not turn green. Let it stick out, enjoy.
- Feeding beets should begin when the root crop reaches the size of a quail egg. It shouldn't be done before. The root system is too weak.
How to grow beets outdoors? As you can see, nothing complicated. Care, weeding, watering, fertilizing. And now the vinaigrette from our own harvest, and not purchased.
Video: the subtleties of planting beets in open ground
In this article, you will learn many useful tips for planting beets in the spring, namely: sowing seeds into the ground, seedlings of beets from seeds, both in open ground and.
Beetroot is a root vegetable that grows in the ground and has a fleshy root. Sometimes it peeks out slightly from the soil. For a person it is of great benefit, as it includes organic acids, especially fiber. Also, beets are added to their menu by diabetics, hypertensive patients, people with kidney stones and other abnormalities. Especially useful is freshly squeezed beetroot juice.
Which beets to choose for planting
The beet variety should be selected, depending on its further use. So, for example, fodder beets are planted for domestic animals, if any. Seeds of fodder beet are treated initially, then they are applied to the soil enriched with fertilizers. It is important to understand that this beet grows large sizes, so it is seated at a distance of 25 cm from each other, and between rows up to half a meter.
The table beet is used for eating. All varieties need good lighting. The Bordeaux 237 variety, which has been approved for cultivation throughout Russia since 1943, has been adopted as the standard in domestic selection among this crop.
But sugar beet is much more picky than the rest, soil with the correct structure, constantly enriched with fertilizers, is suitable for it.
Sowing seeds in the ground
Before planting seeds in the ground, you need to stimulate their germination by pre-soaking in cold water for 24 hours, or pour warm water no more than 40 degrees for just half an hour. After this procedure, you can already proceed to planting seeds. In spring, beets are planted in late April - early May.
Seeds are sown in the soil to a depth of no more than 3 cm, and between rows they maintain a distance of 8 cm for small fruits; large root crops will need a distance between rows of up to 35 cm. Despite the cold resistance of this crop, spring sowing should begin no earlier than the air temperature warms up to 8 ºC, and its further development will occur only at a temperature of 15 ºC.
Due to the fact that beet seeds are combined into seedlings, several pieces, timely thinning is required. This should be done as soon as the first leaves grow. After this event, the distance between the seedlings should be approximately equal to the length of a matchbox.
Thinned sprouts can be planted in one more row. After thinning, weeding is done and sprinkled with organic fertilizers. The second time the rows are thinned out when the diameter of the fruit reaches up to 2 cm, after which an interval of up to 10 cm is left from each other. This procedure is best done after watering.
Seedlings of beets from seeds
The seedling method can grow almost all varieties of beets. For this, seedling boxes are best suited, they can be installed both at home and in greenhouses.
They have a high content of vitamin C and carotene, many other bioactive substances. Early beets are on a par with such early vegetables as lettuce, for example. First you need to soak the seeds for three days for spitting, then they are placed in boxes on prepared moist soil, sprinkled with soil on top and kept in greenhouses.
Seedlings germinate three weeks after sowing in open ground. For a good harvest, and the optimal size of the beets, seedlings should be planted at a distance of 5 cm from each other, and row spacing should be up to 27 cm. When the transplant is completed, you can water with a solution of humate.
When caring for seedlings, you need to maintain soil moisture and periodically ventilate. For early term ripening beets, sow areas under the film, usually at the end of April.
1. Before sowing beets in open ground, you need to choose a suitable site, loosen the ground.
2. The soil should be warmed up to 10 ºC.
4. It is good to plant beets in the place where tomatoes, cucumbers, and all legumes used to grow. Places where beets or cabbages have grown before are not suitable, as they take all the nutrients from the soil.
5. To reduce acidity, you can enrich the soil with wood ash. It is necessary to prepare and fertilize the site since autumn.
6. The size of the final fruit depends on the planting density. Large root crops need space. But keep in mind that too huge fruits are impractical to use, and not so sweet.
Decide on the variety you want to plant, remembering the importance of properly prepared soil. Plant beets as seeds or seedlings, depending on the region of residence, following the recommendations for growing. Then the beets will delight you with good, tasty crops.
We invite you to watch a video on how to properly plant beets in the spring:
